


Chasing Life

by SpeckledCoffeeCups



Series: If I Said I loved you [6]
Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Hospital, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Other, Past Relationships, Sally has vitiligo, car crash, telling who would give away plot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-19
Updated: 2017-02-19
Packaged: 2018-09-25 14:49:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,944
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9825248
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpeckledCoffeeCups/pseuds/SpeckledCoffeeCups
Summary: The first thing Thomas thought was this isn't like the movies. Nothing was slow motion and he didn’t look back to his lovers, doesn’t reach out to for anyone.  Doesn’t breathe.





	

The moments that the words don't reach…

They're moments like this. In the quiet before the crash it was serene, almost peaceful. Thomas was driving, and Laf had control of the radio. Some quiet French band was humming through the speakers, accented by Alex and John bickering about where to eat. Hercules taps Thomas on the shoulder, as Laf turns up the music saying something to Alex that was lost in the slam from the driver’s side. 

The first thing Thomas thought was this isn't like the movies. Nothing was slow motion and he didn’t look back to his lovers, doesn’t reach out to for anyone.  Doesn’t breathe.  

A sharp pain overtakes his entire left side, before he feels nothing.  Just inertia keeping his body moving before he’s jerked back into his place roughly.  

It’s quiet for a moment, before Alex starts panting and groaning loudly. 

“Herc, herc wake up.  Hercules!  Thomas! Laf, John!” His voice rises in pitch with every word. “Hercules!  Please babe wake up!” Alex cries out loudly and heartbrokenly.  Thomas feels something wet on his cheek, and reaches slowly to touch it, but instead of tears, it’s blood.  He blinks and his eyes sting and cloud with the liquid. 

His head feels heavy and he swallows past the thick taste on his tongue. 

“Alex…” He swallows again as a cloud covers his mind. 

“Thomas…. Thomas don’t go!” 

“It’ll be okay.” He mumbles and wets his lips closing his eyes for a moment.  _ This feels nice.  Just a break.  No.  Alex.   _ He peels his eyes back open with the last bit of energy in his body. 

“Tommy!  Tom please stay here!” A knock echos on the window and a kid, probably just got his license and wrecked daddy’s new car. 

“Oh my god.  Are you okay? Dude I’m so sorry, I’m… I’m calling 911.” the kid backs away grabbing his phone from the car. Alex shouts loudly as the boy backs away, trying to grab his attention. 

“Hercules!  Tell them Hercules won’t wake up!” He blubbers on his words tears flooding his cheeks.  John groans and reaches for Alex. 

“Breathe. The docs can’t help if you don’t breathe.” he comments and coughs into the crook of his arm. “Laf, Thomas.  You good?” Laf doesn’t speak, but nods. Their forehead is split and blood drips down the bridge of their nose. 

“I… I’m here.” He swallows and tries to shift.  A shout sounds and he realizes looking back it’s him. Alex cries out just as loudly…. 

But Thomas doesn’t hear him. 

\---

The lights are bright.  And people are touching him.  

“Thomas, can you hear me? My names Doctor Laboy.  Do you know where you are?” the light floods from his left eye to his right.  He moves to nod and the doctor places a hand on his forehead.  “Don’t try and move your neck.  We haven’t got your films back yet. Can you talk?” 

Thomas wets his lips and groans at the pressure in his chest.  He can’t breathe right.  “Hospital.  Alex… Where’s Alex and Hercules.” 

“The latino boy?  He’s in the radiology get an x-ray.  The black man is in surgery. Do you know if he has any family we can contact?” Thomas can’t help but try and shake his head. His throat is dry and tight. “He’ll be fine, don’t worry yourself.” 

“Laf, John.” 

“Laf?  The frenchman?  He’s in the first bay with… Jaqueline?” 

“John. He goes by John or Jack.” Thomas corrects. He coughs trying to clear the pressure that’s that’s built up in his lungs and the doctor presses his stethoscope to his chest, the cold metal stark against his warm skin. 

“I’ll let the nurse know.” He comments not completely paying attention to his words and instead is focusing on listening to his chest sounds. A nurse pops in with a manilla folder and the doctor steps away from Thomas and pulls out two films.  One of his torso and another of his legs. His left femur is completely shattered, clean break.. His left lung is brighter than his right.  He doesn’t know what that means, but it can’t be good. 

“Shit.  Okay kid we’re gonna have to put a chest tube in.”  The doctor states and the room becomes a flurry of activity. A nurse moves his left arm aside and it protests in pain, but he’s shaken from that as cold betadine is squirted across his ribs. A needle pricks his side and he flinches. 

“What-”

“Just numbing you up.  This is gonna hurt but hold on for us.” the nurse places a hand on his shoulders.  He fights every instinct to fight her off.  He doesn’t feel the scalpel pierce his skin, but then the dissecting tool rips his serratus and pectoralis muscles and he shouts out loudly. A string of curses flow from his mouth and the nurse squeezes his shoulder quickly. 

“Good job kiddo.” He bites back the comment about being 21, not a child in any sense of the word. 

“Just a few more seconds.” The doctor comments as he slides in a catheter, and blood spurts out the opening on the other side.  He places a hand on Thomas’s chest that is rising and falling rapidly.  Tears slip out of his eyes and roll down his temple. 

“Fuck.” He grits out and swallows past the lump in his through. The doctor places his stethoscope on his chest and relaxes for a moment. 

“Thank God. Alright take him up to ortho, he’s stable.” He says and grabs a syringe from the tray and pulls some liquid,  _ morphine? An opiate at least please god, _ from a vial. It’s injected to an IV before a nurse removes the brace on his neck.  The doctor places three stitches in his side, but he can’t feel it past the current pain. 

“You’re neck isn’t broken, but you’ll be sore.” She states running her fingers lightly over his forehead. 

“Alex. I want to see Alex.” He comments and the nurse sighs. 

“Maybe after we get that bone set.” She comments.  Thomas shakes his head but cringes when he hears cracking. 

“No.  Please I need to see him.” Thomas responds and the nurse looks nervously to the doctor. 

“After you bones are set.  You have a fracture, and I don’t think your boyfriend wants to see you like this.” The doctor states.  Thomas is about to ask how he knows Alex and him are dating, moving to push him into a sitting position. The nurse places a firm hand on his shoulder, keeping him lateral. “When you were brought in he was screaming about needing to see you.  Very emotional, and didn’t care that he had a shattered foot.” 

Thomas barks out a laugh. Of course Alex. “Dumbass.” he grumbles.  The doctor squeezes his shoulder. 

“Give us twenty more minutes and we can get you to your boyfriend.” He states with a sad smile and nods to the nurses as they wheel him from the ER room. 

The doctor was true to his words and when he finishes with setting his bones, he’s wheeled into his own room where Laf and Alex are waiting for John to come out of radiology.  They jump up immediately and crowd him careful hands on his checks.  Alex has seen better days but the boot on his foot is a grateful gift compared to what could have happened. Laf has a set of stitches in their hairline but nothing awful. 

“Ay dios mi. You’re okay, you’re okay.” Alex mumbles grabbing his hand and holding it tightly.  Laf presses a kiss to his temple and smiles sadly at Thomas. 

“How’s John, and Herc?” Thomas ask swallowing past his heavy, dry tongue. 

“Hercules is still in surgery.  His ankle needed screws and he has a punctured a lung. He’s gonna be a while yet…” Alex comments and runs his hands over his face. “John has a concussion.  They’ve been in radiology for the past 30 minutes, and I think he mentioned he broke a rib or two.” 

“He’ll be fine mon amour.” Lafayette states, directed more towards Alex than Thomas. Alex leans into Laf’s side and then looks at Thomas, truly taking him in for the first time. His eyes trail over the stitches in his forehead and the other cuts decorating his face.  The swelling in his shoulder and the tube sticking out of his chest, the bruises.  The cast covers his thigh and is stiff and heavy.  

“Are you gonna be okay?” Alex asks softly. Thomas almost laughs but the sudden intake of air is uncomfortable. He settles on a smile and reaches for Alex’s hand. 

“I’ll be fine.”  He pulls Alex’s knuckles to his mouth and presses a long kiss there.  Alex has always been cautious of hospitals; every time he’s been to a hospital someone’s died. 

“Promise?” Alex asks. Thomas doesn’t get to answer because John rolls himself into the room, hospital gown around his shoulders and a scowl on his face. 

“Fucking nurses cut my binder off damnit!” He shouts and and the nurse behind him rolls his eyes. 

“Sir, we already apologized. But we had to check you over for injuries and you weren’t breathing right.  You had a fractured rib.” The nurse corrects. 

“I never breathe right!” John snaps and pouts looking at Alex. 

“John,” Alex chides.  The boy crosses his arms and sighs leaning back into the chair. 

“Just. Fuck.  I don’t have money to pay for this.” The nurse looks sadly at the young man and before giving them privacy

Everyone knows this is more than the binder.  It’s the entire situation. 

“It’s okay we’ll deal with it when we get there.” Lafayette comments quietly and moves to push John closer to them. He stays quiet for a moment before speaking.

“How… are you feeling okay?” He asks and looks to Thomas worry coating all his features. “We hit and you didn’t scream.  Just kind of sat there and then started screaming. Tommy it was so scary, we couldn’t get you out they had to use the jaws of life and they thought you were dead.  Tommy-”

“John, babe,” he reaches for him but grits his teeth when pain shoots up his side. “Fuck.” John stands and Alex snorts and holds the back of the gown closed. 

“Don’t scare me like that again.” John says quietly and presses a kiss to his face, his lips lingering for a second longer than appropriate. “Please don’t.” he whispers before sitting back down again with a wince. 

“Are you okay?” Thomas asks and John nods slowly. 

“Just bruised up.  Broke a rib, and the doctors said I shoulding limit binding for a few weeks.” he swallows stiffy before looking two his three partners. “Guys,” 

“It’ll be okay quierdo,” he presses a kiss to his hair. 

“You can wear my sweaters.” Thomas states and motions to his ribs.  “I won’t be able to for a while at least. 

“Are you sure?” John asks and Thomas smiles. 

“Of course.” 

“Mr. Jefferson?”  A doctor enters the room, clipboard in hand. 

“That’s me,” He looks up and smiles kindly. 

“It’s good to see you looking better than when you came in an hour ago.” 

“An hour?” Thomas voices anxiously and Alex nods slowly. 

“You were out for almost thirty minutes.” He states slowly, rubbing his thumb across Thomas’s knuckles. “I rode with you, and Laf rode with Hercules and John. You didn’t wake up once.” 

Thomas nods and swallows. “So….”

“You came in with a fractured femur, multiple lacerations on your face and pulmonary  haemorrhaging, most likely from the force of impact.” The doctor flips the clipboard closed and looks Thomas over for a moment. “You are lucky.  All of you are, even your friend in surgery.  He’s doing amazing considering the impact.” Laf presses them-self against the wall, letting the doctor move around Thomas’s bed. “The driver was texting and driving, reckless kid, and was going way too fast.  If your car would’ve rolled I don’t think the other boy would be alive.” 

Alex looks away and John rubs his back. 

“And the kid?” Thomas asks.  The doctor laughs roughly. 

“Walked away without a scratch, as it normally is.  His car is totalled, and his parents might kill him for that. But in reference to the accident he is fine.” Alex leans against the wall and the doctor glances him over before looking away. Alex is grieving not in physical pain. 

He only knows how to help the physical maldives. 

“So visiting hours will be over soon, but since your friend is in surgery, you will be able to stay past.  Just don’t cause too much ruckus and tell the nurses Dr. Frederick said you could stay.” he comments and looks over Thomas vitals. “Any pain Mr. Jefferson?” Thomas opens his mouth but after a strong look from the doctor he shuts it. “I thought so.  We can’t give you too much more morphine, but if you are willing to tough it out over the next five hours we can give you more before you go to bed.” 

Thomas simply nods to agree. Dr. Frederick smiles and adjusts one last thing before leaving the room with a smile. 

It’s silent for a second before John speaks.

“He’s oddly happy for a doctor.” 

“Coffee.” Alex states matter-of-factly. “Coffee is the only way to make someone that happy.” 

Laf snorts and rolls their eyes at their boyfriend. “No, that’s how we make you happy.” John licks his lips at the comment and Alex holds his chin high a smirk playing on his lips. 

“I mean that’s not the only way,” He waggles his hips suggestively and Thomas actually laughs. The sensation is less than comfortable but it’s bearable. 

“Hamilton no one is sucking you off in a hospital.” A nurse passes by at that moment and glares into the room. She continues her path but Thomas can hear the grumbling about disrespectful kids. 

Alexander smirks and presses a kiss to Thomas’s cheek. “I’m just glad you’re okay.” He states and John smiles as well. 

Thomas breathes deep, ready to ask the big question.  

His car. 

“How’s my car?” The three look between each other, and tossing around of glances before Alex and John pointed rest their eyes on Laf.  They sigh.

“It’s… totaled mon amour.  Alex called his parents before you came in, and already have an attorney ready.”

“Nessa.  She’s great.” Alex piques up, a cautious smile playing on his face. 

Thomas is furious for all of three seconds before stepping back and being thankful.  His car is nothing, he can buy another one in a few months.  He can’t buy another Alex, John, Laf or Hercules. 

“It’s okay.... Nessa shouldn’t fight for my car, but for Herc’s medical bills.  The kid should pay them, he was at fault… I... “ Thomas swallows. He was driving.  Shit.   _ He _ was driving. 

And Hercules could have died. 

“Thomas.” Laf speaks quietly but presses a kiss to his forehead. “We don’t blame you mon cher.” 

“Hercules….” Thomas swallows tightly before speaking again. “He could’ve, still can,” 

“Thomas,” John stands slowly only wincing slightly. “Breathe, you aren’t thinking straight.” he grabs Thomas’s hands and squeezes them lightly. 

“Herc won't be mad at you, he’ll be mad at the kid.”

“I feel responsible.” His voice is breathy. Thomas shifts uncomfortably in the bed. 

“He’ll… be okay.” Laf moves to Thomas’s other side. They presses their lips to Thomas’s curly afro and presses themselves flush to his side. 

“Hey come here,” Alex says, but clumsily climbs into the bed. He's mind full of Thomas’s injuries as he moves to rest his head on his chest. 

“I hear your heart.” Alex comments and Thomas snorts, but cards his fingers through Alex's hair conscientiously. 

“Wrong side love,” he comments. Alex pinches his nipple and Thomas grits his teeth but quiets down. 

“Shut it.” He clears his throat. “The point I'm making is you're still here… and even if we still fight a lot I love you,” Thomas rubs a hand over Alex’s back and nods slowly, a dull headache settling across his forehead. Alex rests his cheek on Thomas’s bare chest, and John sits on his other side pressing his cheek to his shoulder, Lafayette staying beside him, his body flush to Thomas’s. 

They sit like that, refusing to move even when a nurse glares in and starts to tell them to leave.  It takes a few hours till they hear anything about Hercules, and Alex cries.  

Tears of joy.  He’s alive, and stable, but in ICU.  Thomas can’t visit for obvious reasons, so John stays with him and they face time up to see Hercules.  Alex is crying the entire time so thankful that Hercules is alive even if he is groggy and not fully conscious. Laf is stroking his his arm softly, just reassuring him of his presence.  Herc throws a half lucid wave towards the video and John and Thomas smile blowing him kisses before they are forced to power down the chat for the night. The non critical of the group, Lafayette, Alex and John, leave the hospital for the night and promise to return in the morning with laptops and blankets. 

Thomas is forced for the first time in a long time to sleep without anyone pressed to his side, lazy kisses being pressed to his shoulder and clavicle by the four other men.  He’s lonely, and misses them more than he thought possible. 

Is sleep is fitful, and every time he rolls to his left he shouts out in pain.  By the fourth time the nurse simply ups his morphine enough to knock him out. 

He wakes three hours later to the sound of tears and a woman shushing someone.  Thomas rolls to the side, the ache back even stronger than before. He listens to the quiet voices. 

“I can’t, Adri, please,”

“Shh, it’ll be okay, no more tears ami,” 

_ Ami _ . Friend.  They’re french? 

“Adri-”

The voices quiet when someone enters the room.  Thomas presses his face to the pillow, his hand moving to rub his side. 

“Mr. Jefferson,” A doctor calls and pulls the curtain back. Thomas grumbles as cold hands touch his back. “Sir you need to sit up,” They instruct and he shuffles under the covers for a moment before pushing himself up, his arm protesting at the motion. “How are you feeling?” 

“Like I got hit by a fucking car,” He grumbles and rubs his face pushing his afro off his face. 

The doctor chuckles and places his stethoscope on his chest, the chill making gooseflesh errupt on his torso. 

“Well considering your circumstances,” he comments.  Thomas scoffs rubbing his side again. “Any pain?” the words hang in the air for a moment before Thomas decides to respond. 

“My ribs are killing me,” He finally states. 

“1-10?” Thomas sighs.  He’s not a child. 

“69” He retorts. The doctor nods, unphased by his comment.  The people on the other side of the curtain laugh. 

“So more like a 6,” he comments and looks over some vitals.  “I’ll let you rest some more, but I’ll be back later.  By the way… do you have a boyfriend?  Small latino guy, fiery little thing?” Thomas nods. 

“Yeah, is he here?”

“Yes.  But visiting hours are not until 9.  It’s only 8:45.” Thomas sighs. 

“Give the poor guy some coffee and some law cases to read.  He’ll calm down.” Thomas proclaims and winces as his ribs twinge in pain. 

“Will do.  Do you need any more painkillers?” the doctor asks and Thomas waves them off.  He’ll survive.  

“I’m fine,” the doctor walked out of the room with a nod to his new roommates for the next couple days.  He closes his eyes and rubs his face tired. Sleep evaded him all night till he was knocked out with painkillers, and that didn’t bring him any true sleep.  He yawns loudly, resisting the urge to stretch.  The last time he tried that his ribs screamed in pain. He winces as he yawns regardless.  

Someone coughs from the other side of curtain, and it’s pulled back.  The girl is pretty, long braids and a septum piercing, with big doe eyes. 

“You are Jefferson no?” Her speech is thicker than Lafayettes. 

“Yeah…” She marches in and smacks him across the face.  “What the hell!” 

“That’s for hurting ma cherie.” 

“Wait what?  Who-”

“Sally Hemings.” She growls.  The girl in the other bed speaks up. 

“Adrienne calm down.” She coughs again.  Thomas looks around Adrienne and guilt floods his system. 

“Sally,” 

“Hey Thomas,” She says and wraps her hands around her stomach. 

“Are you-”

“No.  I’m not. I had a miscarriage Thomas three weeks ago and haven’t felt well since.  And it was your baby.” Always to the heart of the issue.  She’s still beautiful, the patches of white decorating her face and arms only making her seem ethereal and unobtainable not ghostly and odd. 

He swallows slowly.  

Breathe in. Breathe out.

“I… we slept together once.” He reasons.  She shrugs pathetically. 

“Yeah.  Apparently it was enough.” She mumbles and Adrienne moves back to her friend quickly rubbing between her shoulder blades. 

“You’ll be okay ma cherie.” She murmurs and glares at Thomas. “Look what you did to her.  You were both drunk and now she has to pay for it.” She snaps and rubs her friend’s back. She sighs and presses her mouth to Sally’s head. “She didn’t ask for it Thomas, and you didn’t answer any of her calls or texts.  Do you know how scared she was?” 

“Adri,” Sally starts but Adrienne doesn’t stop. 

“She needed you and you weren’t there.” She says softly.  “Do you know how scared she was?” 

Thomas swallows, pain pinching his ribs and stomach. “I… I thought you hated me.” He says and she laughs, sounding hysterical. 

“Please… I wanted you back Thomas.  You were so good when you wanted to be.  Why didn’t you call me back?” She asks sadly pulling her knees to her chest. Adrienne frowns sadly. 

“Don’t think of that ma cherie. It’ll be okay.” She murmurs and presses another kiss to her face. They are incredibly familiar with each other, that is evident. 

Adrienne breathes deeply, waiting a beat before speaking.  “You will not hurt ma amour ever again. I will-”

“Adrienne de Noailles! Ma cheri what are you doing in the states!” Lafayette is ecstatic to see their friend, pulling her in for a tight hug, not even giving her a chance to react. Thomas glances to the clock on the wall. It’s five till 9.  A nurse winks from the door, walking away, letting Alex, John and Laf enter the room completely. 

“Gilbert, you? Who are you here for? Your face, mon ami.” she says cautiously, a slim finger running over the skin below the stitches. 

“Do not worry, I will heal.   Je suis désolé, I’m Lafayette.” They comment, hand still on Adrienne’s lower back.  They reach to squeeze Sally’s hand, jumping when Alex pinches their ass. “You little,” 

“Shush we love them,” John comments nodding to Sally, before slipping onto Thomas’s bed. “We got clearance from ICU to go up to Herc.  As long as your Doctor gives you the okay that is,” Alex comments grabbing his hand. 

“How’s he been?” He moves to pull his legs up but stops short when pain shoots up his leg. He bites his tongue instead. 

“Stable, and improving.  Are you okay?” He asks, John slipping to his other side. An uncomfortable silence settles across the room, and Sally speaks up. 

“Adri,” 

“Yes cheri?” 

She hands over her purse. “Could you-”

“A small water with lime and strawberries. I’ll be right back,” She says and presses a kiss to her cheek.  Sally blushes but watches her leave a dreamy look on her face. 

The same look she would give Thomas when she thought he didn’t see.  

He always saw. 

An awkward silence falls and Sally meets Thomas eyes, cocking an eyebrow. He rolls his eyes, and she narrows her eyes just slightly and tilts her head. He sighs losing this battle. 

“So… this is Sally.” 

Alex laughs lightly. “Well don’t need to sound so disappointed.” 

“I’m not!” He defends and Sally rolls her eyes, hurt. “Don’t guilt trip me!” He snaps and she turns her glare to him. 

“Oh and forget that you left me without a second thought? Was i nothing?”

“Woo, hold up what’s going on?” John cuts in and Thomas narrows his eyes. 

“You weren’t nothing.  It was a bad time okay-”

“You can’t keep using that as an excuse!” She cries out and clenches her fists in the sheets. 

“She died on me!  You want me to just up and go completely invest myself in another person?”

“She was my family too!”

“Thomas-” 

“Stay out of this.” He snaps and focuses on Sally completely. “She was my fiancee.  I can’t just forget her.”

“You were engaged?” Lafayette asks completely lost. 

“Yes-”

“To my step sister.  And when she died, he thought it was a good idea to fuck me and run.” 

“That’s not what happened! Don’t you try and pin this all on me, you never called me back.” 

“You wanted hook ups!”

“I wanted a friend!” his eyes sting and his head throbs.  “You think it sucked on your side? Your mother didn’t let me anywhere near the funeral only because I’m black!” 

“So am I!” 

“But the difference is you’re not southern black, because that obviously makes me a bigot, asshole who only wants to use and take.” 

“She wasn’t wrong.” She snaps back, crying openly now.  “She died and six months later you come in-”

“Enough of this,” Lafayette interrupts fiercely.  “I don’t know what happened but this isn’t how you fix a problem.  Ms. Hemmings I’m sorry you lost your sister, and Thomas, you could’ve told us you were engaged.  Now.  Hercules is upstairs and he’s waiting for us.” they state and motion to either Alex or John to go grab a nurse to help transport Thomas to Hercules. They both run off to the nurses station quiet whispers exchanged. 

“Lafa-”

“Enough.  We don’t have time for this right now.  Ms. Hemmings, again I’m very sorry about your circumstances, but Adrienne will take good care of you,” He almost cries in relief when the other two return to the room a nurse with them.  

“Just need to pull out that chest tube and then we can let you go visit your friend.” She instructs and moves to pull the curtain closed for privacy.

Pulling out the chest tube wasn’t painful so to say, just awkward. Alex was more tense than Thomas, and he was just watching.  Two sutures to close the wound and the nurse lets them go.  Adrienne glares at them as Thomas wheels himself out of the room.  The moment they are in the elevator all three turn on him. 

“You were engaged-”

“To Martha Randolf-”

“And didn’t tell us!”

“Shut up,” He grumbles and presses his fingers into his eyes. God he doesn’t want this conversation. “Yes, and then she died unexpectedly of a brain aneurysm a year from out from the wedding.” 

“You were supposed to be married by now?” Alex is the most shocked. 

“Yes.  And don’t give me that look, I would’ve told you eventually, but it’s just hard to think about her.”  he confesses and breathes deep rubbing his ribs. 

“How-” 

“Dont’.  Please John, I can’t worry about that right now.” He says and feels three hands on him.  One in his hair, one on his shoulder, and the other cupping his face.  He looks up and John is looking him in the face and smiles sadly. 

“We won’t then.  But when you’re ready we will be here okay,” He kisses his forehead and mouth quickly. The elevator dings and John slips back and grabs his hand squeezing. Thomas breathes slowly.

The nurse at the nurse’s station smiles at the boys.  “Room 715, he’s been up and lucid already!” She says and Alex smiles grabbing Laf’s hand tightly.  

“See he’s good!  He’s doing better!” He wants to run to the room but he’d be chastised, again. 

“I told you,” John rolls his eyes but pulls them closer to the room. 

712, 713, 714, 715. 

They push the door open and although Hercules is half asleep, snoring.  Bandages cover his left arm, and stitches in his forehead.  

“He needed thoracic surgery.  I think his lung was punctured? I don’t know, but he’s okay.” Lafayette pushes Thomas to the edge of the bed, and he takes Herc’s hand. He groans lightly, before blinking and looking to Thomas. 

“Hey,” 

“Hey,”

“You feeling okay?” Herc yawns and sits up as best he can.

“Been better… I’m sorry-”

“Stop, it wasn’t your fault.  The kid was texting and driving.  I think Lin is on his way to the hospital today?” Alex nods and checks his phone. 

“About twenty minutes out.”

“See. I’m fine, I’m alive, and you’re okay.” He coughs into his elbow.  “Okay I’m alive and you’re okay,” 

Thomas bites his lip to keep from laughing, but can’t stop smiling. 

“How long?”

“Another two days in ICU and maybe 2 in regular care, and then home if all goes well.  If it doesn’t it could be a week.”

“You’ll be fine.”

“I hope so.  I hate sleeping alone.” he confesses.  

He laughs at the raw truth and Herc can’t help but chuckle.  “You’re the worst.” Thomas comments and Herc shrugs. 

“Ehh that’s not what you said two days ago.” Thomas blushes and the other three laugh.  

And for the moment.  It’s going to be okay. 


End file.
